


Three Times Magnus is Supportive and Paints His Friends' Nails, One Time They Returned the Favour

by Elliot-the-Wizard (PhantomWizard13)



Series: Here's to Everyone (Who Said We Never Had a Chance) [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Character, Barely any dialogue, Cuddle Pile, Friendship, I'm Sorry, Mentions of Heartbreak, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts, Mentions of self-harm, i don't know anything about paralysis/surgeries and shit, implied eating disorder, mentions of car accident resulting in major injury, monty python references, probably spinal damage of some sort tbh, this takes place before the other story, very vague major injury/medical problem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 10:18:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8098315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomWizard13/pseuds/Elliot-the-Wizard
Summary: “Who was there for me when I thought I might never walk again after that car accident? Who was there for Raphael when- when he tried to hurt himself? Who was there for Simon when he had his heart broken?” In Which Magnus is a wonderful friend and is also really great at painting nails (and Ragnor, Raphael, and Simon really appreciate it)





	1. Ragnor

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this is like a prequel to the "Just Dance (Gonna Be Okay)" because I need more of Magnus's friendships in my life okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ragnor might never walk again, and thought absolutely terrifies him.
> 
> Magnus is the best friend he could ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I don't know anything about surgery or spinal injuries and such, but I tried! I TRIED

Ragnor's parents died when he was young. Or rather, his mom did. Breast cancer.

His dad just up and left. (Typical.)

 

When he met Magnus Bane, he was a skinny teenager with a snappy fashion sense and a fiery spirit, stuck in the system just like Ragnor.

They end up in the same town, and they become friends. (After the incident with the pirates, how could they not be friends?)

 

Eventually, Ragnor turns eighteen. Soon after, Magnus does, too.

They got an apartment together.

 

They got into a lot of crazy adventures. The trip to Peru. The hot air balloon incident. The _second_ hot air balloon incident. Paris.

 _Magnus may be a little crazy,_ Ragnor decided, _and a little loud- but he's sure as hell loyal, and he's never boring._

 

In his last year of high school, Ragnor got into a car accident.

It wasn't a rainy night, there weren't clouds obscuring the moon- it was an ordinary day, sun partially hidden behind grey-ish clouds, like nothing bad could happen.

But something bad did happen.

There was a drunk driver, an ignored red light, and a sickening rush of metal and crunch of bone.

When Ragnor wakes up, he can't move.

 

They told him he might never walk again.

The thought terrified Ragnor. He could barely move, he couldn't do anything by himself. It was embarrassing and humiliating.

He felt horrible all the time. He felt completely useless. 

Stuck in a hospital bed or a wheelchair.

He's his own legal guardian, being over eighteen and an orphan, so he's alone. Responsible for all the paperwork. Glad to have insurance.

(He heard the other driver was dead. He wondered who got the short end of the stick.)

 

But there was a bright spot: his friend, Magnus, was always there for him.  _Always._

 

He brings him the classwork he needs, helps him through the classes he's missed. He plays chess with him, and he doesn't even bother letting him win. Anytime Magnus has spare time, he's there, with Ragnor, and Ragnor tries to tell him that it's okay, that he can have other friends, but Magnus just smiles and says, Y _ou need me more. Besides, dearest cabbage, **you** are my favorite._

 

He's there with him through thick and thin. The days Ragnor feels depressed and lonely, Magnus paints his fingernails fuschia and his toenails green and chatters about the meaningless things- his latest antics in a certain teacher's class, what happened on the latest  _Kitchen Nightmares,_ anything- but he also knows when to be quiet, when to smile sadly and pull out a chessboard or a book and just  _be_ there.

He there's when Ragnor feels angry and hurt and lashes out, and he just takes it- Ragnor hates that, hates that Magnus cares enough to let himself be hurt by someone who should never hurt him. (But another tiny, selfish part of him loves him for it, loves that he cares so much, and that makes Ragnor feel a little sick.)

He's there when Ragnor needs someone to talk to, or advice about his physical therapy, he's there to cheer him up and paint his nails bright orange (his toenails dark red and pink, alternating) and watched shitty television with him in the hospital room. 

He's there to play chess with, to debate politics with (well, actually they shared many views, so really it was mutual ranting) and it's not one-sided, either.

Magnus leans on him too, sometimes, when he feels really down or when the rumors get particularly bad, or when he just needs to talk, Ragnor is there for him, too.

He isn't always strong, just like Ragnor doesn't always need lean on someone.

They're there for each other. They're  _equals,_ which makes Ragnor appreciate him all the more.

After that first seemingly forever stretch of time that he had to stay at the hospital, Ragnor finally had to go back home. Stuck in a wheelchair, feeling more helpless than ever.

Magnus is the one who takes him home.

It's amazing, because before this, in a way, Magnus was his best friend. A good friend, but certainly not his only, not his oldest.

But where were those friends all that time in the hospital?

He'd gotten flowers and messages and even a few visits, but Magnus was always there. Just because he needed him.

And not only that, but suddenly, Ragnor realized how much better he really  _knew_ him. He knew Magnus liked fashion but didn't want a career in it. He knew Magnus liked peonies and roses but didn't like tulips or daffodils. He knew that Magnus's favorite book was  _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,_ closely followed by  _Mort._ He knew that Magnus's favorite color was blue. He knew Magnus wanted a cat but wasn't sure he could take care of one. He knew that even if Magnus denied it, he loved kids and was absolutely fantastic with them. He knew he'd been in the foster system ever since- well.

He  _knew_ Magnus. Hell, Magnus knew  _him,_ too.

Magnus was his best friend.

 

When he moves into the apartment again, he meets a skinny kid- well, kid is unfair, he's probably a year or two younger at most- whom Magnus has also taken under his wing. Ragnor can't find it in himself to feel resentful, because Magnus has a big, kind heart and of course he takes care of everyone he can. (He likely has a whole, vast network of people who would fight fiercely for him and he doesn't even know it.)

 

The kid- Raphael- is entertaining. He wasn't bad-looking at all, in fact, he was gorgeous, and he had a fantastically dry sense of humor.

He doesn’t even glance at the wheelchair, he’s certainly clever and so wonderfully sarcastic. 

Ragnor thought to himself, _I_ _could get used to this._

 

 

Ragnor had learned to get around in his wheelchair by now, and he went back to school.

He's mostly caught up, thanks to Magnus, but he's not blind to the stares, deaf to the whispers.

He can feel them all watching him. Maybe it's irrational, but he knows, he  _knows,_ that they're judging him. Pitying him.

 _So much for joining the swim team_ , he thought bitterly.

People treated him differently. He hated it. He wasn't fragile, suddenly, he wasn't completely helpless.

(Magnus had never treated him differently, not once, and he'd forgotten that people would.)

He ends up graduating in his wheelchair, Magnus right behind him, and he said quietly,  _I knew you could do it._

 

 

Almost a week after he graduates- barely less than a year after that horrible accident- he gets news that there's a chance. A surgery, a bit experimental, but almost guaranteed to work, a chance for him to walk again.

It was something he would give anything to have.

(Well, not anything. He wouldn't give up Magnus, he wouldn't give up Raphael.)

But he was scared. 

Sixty percent chance he would walk again. Thirty percent chance he would be completely paralyzed. Ten percent chance something else would happen. Who knows, he went a little numb after those first parts.

 

Magnus paints his nails purple and blue when he finds out. They sit there, quietly, and Magnus is nothing but encouraging.

He won't judge Ragnor no matter what he chooses.

 

It's because of Magnus he gets the courage to go through with it.

He's scared.

 

 

After the surgery, he has to stay in the hospital for a little while.

Just like always, Magnus is with him every step of the way.

They watched _Brooklyn Nine Nine_ and  _Phantom of the Opera_ while Magnus painted his toenails orange and zig-zagged silly patterns over the orange with the neon "nail pen' he found at the store.

It was a tradition, now. (Ragnor painted his friend's nails gold and blue. Magnus loved it.)

(Ragnor takes online classes from a nearby college. Magnus's college, of course.)

After hours, Magnus would sometimes wheel his chair out in the long, empty halls and race down them in the middle of the night, laughing and trying not to wake anybody up.

Really, he wasn't supposed to be there after hours like that, but he kept sneaking in (God knows how) and eventually the nurses get used to going into Ragnor's room to find his friend curled up in the chair next to the bed.

Ragnor tells him he should really stay home and get some sleep, but Magnus always grins and shakes his head and says,  _I'm nocturnal, anyway, my dear, and I get plenty of sleep. Naps are the game!_

Ragnor can't exactly force him to leave, can he? (He selfishly doesn't want to. Magnus is like a sun, wonderful and warm and the best friend Ragnor could ever ask for.)

 

Raphael visits, too, albeit not as constantly as Magnus. But always at least twice a week. He becomes a good friend, too.

 

Ragnor finally takes his first shaky steps- leaning heavily on Magnus's shoulder- the day after the surgery.

He starts doing exercises with his annoying (actually, she wasn't that bad at all) physical therapist. Slowly, he learns how to walk again.

 

When he takes his first steps on his own, wobbly and uncertain, Magnus is there, cheering (and ready to catch him but not depending on it). 

Magnus gets him some cheap-ass fast food, greasy and delicious, to celebrate, and they eat it together ("This is  _so_ against hospital rules-") and watch  _Project Runway_ together on the bed. They takes turns trying to emulate a catwalk, their "stage" lined with pillows and extra quilts. Ragnor failed immensely (obviously) falling on the pillows multiple times, but he had great fun in the process, and it was nice to be able to laugh about this. 

Magnus overemphasized every move, swinging his hips out and marching so fiercely he could almost break an ankle. He ended several of his "catwalks" with an over-dramatic collapse as if he'd fainted or the heel of his shoe had snapped, falling and crying mock-fearfully, before devolving into laughter and giggles.

That night, Ragnor gets toenails all different colors of the rainbow and black and white fingernails, and Magnus gets green and blue nails.

 

When Ragnor finally walks on his own, properly, with no help and no wobbling, Magnus isn't there, because Ragnor wanted to try it by himself first.

He spent all day skipping class to practice more, and when Magnus comes back the apartment to find Ragnor walking out of the door to greet him, barely shaking and a touch stiff but  _walking,_ he drops his groceries and hugs him, grinning so widely his face hurts.

Raphael also hugs him- rare, he's not a touchy-feely kind of person- and that night, they have a  _Harry Potter_ marathon, all three of them, and it's one of the best nights Ragnor has ever had.

 

He'll always walk a little stiffly, but he  _walks._

Without Magnus, he'd have never made it this far.

Ragnor looked down at his bright yellow fingernails. He smiled.

"Hey, Magnus?" he said.

Magnus looked up, humming questioningly, his lips curling upwards.

Sunlight streamed through the window. The whole moment was softened and golden like a movie scene.

"Thank you," Ragnor said sincerely.

Magnus blinked. "Uh- You're welcome? ...Is something wrong, dear cabbage?"

"Nothing," Ragnor said. "Just, thanks. For everything."

Magnus smiled, a bit unsure. "Anytime, my friend," he said.

 

 

All was well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY MORE DEVELOPMENT
> 
> RAPHAEL UP NEXT, MOTHERFUCKERS


	2. Raphael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael has problems. Between his asexuality and the death of his mother, he feels worthless and numb- until Magnus Bane slowly but steadily bleeds the color back into his life.
> 
> He's a damn good friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: In present tense sometimes and then not others for some reason, idek. I'm sorry.
> 
> Kind of choppy? Idk

 

When Magnus first meets Raphael, he seems so young.

(He's a pale, too skinny kid with a fierce attitude, and he's not afraid of anything.)

 

They're not really friends. They talk. They're lab partners.

But Raphael doesn't really have friends.

Magnus doesn't mind.

 

Raphael's mother is murdered. A robbery gone wrong.

Raphael is stone cold and silent. He doesn't talk to anyone, he doesn't smile or make any expression at all.

He's lost his fire.

He wore his suits (apparently his father, whom worked overseas, was rich, so he was well taken care of) and strode about like nothing could touch him.

 _This,_ Magnus decides, _i_ _s most certainly someone who needs a friend._

 

He offers to paint his nails. Raphael scowls and says no.

 

Raphael feels like shit. Constantly.

His mother died, he thinks, and it was his fault. He was right there in the next room, asleep yards away from where she was murdered.

Why didn't he wake up? Why didn't he protect her?

(His fingers fidgeted with the cross pendant she'd given him. _Why, God,_ he thought, _do the good people always die?)_

 

The school therapist keeps pushing Raphael to talk. To him, to his parents, to  _someone._

 _Tell him you've talked to me,_ Magnus offers.  _If he asks, I'll tell him._

Raphael frowns suspiciously.

 

The next day, Raphael grudgingly allows Magnus to paint his nails a dark, blood red.

Magnus hums cheerfully as he does, and Raphael reluctantly admits he rather likes the shade. Magnus beams.

 

Eventually, the therapist stops bothering him, apparently satisfied that he's "making friends".

He looks pointedly at Raphael's nails.

Raphael flushes but refuses to acknowledge what he's saying.

(It's true, and he knows it.)

 

One day, he finds Magnus crying.

(" _Dios,_ are you alright? If someone-")

(He sniffled. "I-I'm fine, m'dear, I just- it's nothing. Bad memories resurfacing, is all.")

Raphael doesn't believe him.

But he returns the favor, and doesn't push.

(That doesn't stop him from grumbling and delicately painting Magnus's fingernails silver and green, and making Magnus rewatch _Dracula_ with him. Magnus smiles, still a touch watery, and Raphael knows he's succeeded in cheering his friend up from whatever is wrong.)

 

(Later, he learns it was the anniversary of his mother's death.

Magnus tells him the story late one night, crying softly into a wine glass, shoulders shaking as he said, _"I_ _t's my fault, Raph, it's my fault-")_

 

But Raphael is still numb. He doesn't talk about it. He doesn't break down.

He hasn't shed a single tear.

( _What kind of son doesn't cry for his dead mother?_   he thinks, but no matter what he wills, he still can't bring himself to cry.)

He begins to feel numb, after a while. The nail polish and gentle humming and quiet chattering of stories and gossip and ideas from Magnus are like little sparks- little sparks of feeling in the numb world.

 

One day, he gets a papercut.

He stares at the welling red blood, the small, sharp wound, and  _feels._

That's when the problems really start.

 

He stops eating. He doesn't get enough sleep.

There are dark circles under his eyes. He's too skinny. (He doesn't care.) 

He begins to have mood swings, he's angry and sad and guilty and he doesn't know what to feel.

Magnus is there, though. He's a constant, a never-changing variable.

 

Magnus never pities him. He doesn't say  _I'm sorry for your loss,_ he doesn't clumsily avoid the subject or ask questions.

He never makes Raphael feel weak, pitied, helpless. He's a damn good friend.

He's always there.

  
When Raphael hurt himself, took a blade to his skin and watched blood well up, over and over- when Magnus saw those scars and blinked away tears, and he didn’t judge, he didn’t ask, he didn’t pity, he just bandaged them, hugging him tightly and managing to say, softly and sadly, _“oh, Raph-"_

And he never asked him to stop, he never judged him or made him feel ashamed, he just told him _I wish you weren’t in so much pain, my friend_ , and tried not to cry.

When he noticed Raphael not eating much, he didn’t force it. He left little reminders- a muffin on his textbook when he looked away, a candy bar taped to his door, a few fruits left on his bedside table, things like that- and he never tried to guilt him, or make him. He just encouraged him from afar.

When Raphael began to puzzle out who he is (when his boyfriend, Jake, wanted sex and Raphael just didn't like the idea, when he looked at pictures of people, half naked and beautiful, and didn't  _feel anything,_ didn't understand why people wanted to have sex with them, have sex at _all)_  and is scared, so fucking scared, Magnus doesn't know what's wrong, but he gives him a one-armed hug, and they marathon the Jurassic Park movies and Magnus lets him choose the color of his nails.

When Raphael needs to cry and sob and mourn, or just stop, because he feels numb and lost, Magnus is there, and he knows when to hold him, and when to pull out a dumb bottle of nail polish and say mock-seriously that dark purple polish and little glitter nail-stick-ons would be perfect for this.

When Raphael needs to listen, to get away, Magnus is there, and he knows when to tell him funny stories, ridiculous and wonderful that Raphael is eighty percent sure he made up (“She was named for the Queen of France, and she was quite wonderful- I’ll never forget how she almost fell out of that hot air balloon!”) and when to quietly tell him he’s not alone, tell him about the people he himself has lost, tell him about his mother's smile and his childhood home.

When Raphael needs to vent and rant, Magnus listens, and he knows when to contribute and advise, and when to just hum softly and listen, and paint his nails. (There's something calming about the cool polish being carefully painted on, the focus Magnus puts into it, still listening but making sure he doesn't paint the skin. It's relaxing, careful, methodical.)

When Raphael needs to talk, quietly or barely at all or too much, pouring and choking out of him, one word tumbling after the other, Magnus is there, and he knows when to listen and stay quiet, he knows when to tell his own stories and show that he understands.

Eventually, Raphael just comes because he can, because he cares about Magnus and Magnus cares about him. Also, Magnus chooses the best nail polish. (Raphael looked damn good in that shade of red or silver or violet.)

  
They gossip (Magnus has the best gossip) and talk. They play Mariokart (Magnus always wins on Rainbow Road, but Raphael has mad "driving" skills) and watch shitty horror movies (Raphael likes the vampire ones, Magnus likes the mummies) together.

 

It's why he loved Magnus so much. He was like a brother, closer than blood.

Because he was always there.

  
And when one day, as Magnus painted tiny, delicate swirls on the base color (neon pink, in this case) Raphael asked _why, why stay, why help?_   Magnus just said _you’re worth it, my friend, you’re worth it, and don’t you dare think otherwise,_ and his hands shook a bit the way they did when he felt so unbearably sad.

That night, Raphael ate a whole dinner (he puked some of it up, his body wasn’t used to it, and Magnus chided him and said “ _maybe we should have soup tonight”_ ) and threw away all of his razor blades (all but one, which he still has in a box under his bed as a reminder even now, it's there) and he pretended not to notice how relieved and happy Magnus looked.

When Raphael admitting to be asexual, Magnus hadn’t acted like it was some big revelation, he’d just smiled and went off on a rambling story about a wonderful ace person he once knew (“Oh, really? You know, I knew a stunning woman named Natasha, once- a ballerina, and fantastic at it, too- and she was asexual. You see, we were in a relationship for a while, and she was so worried because she didn’t want sex, she was worried I’d leave her, or she’d have to go through with it- of course, the moment she said she didn’t want to have sex with me I told her that was fine- now she was a lovely lady. Sadly, she ended up moving to Russia. Last I heard, actually, she was getting married!”)

(“So you don’t… think I’m freakish?” “I think you’re freakishly pale. Do you _ever_ go outside?”)

Soon, he introduced Raphael to his friend, Ragnor (or rather, he mentioned several times his friend had recently been in an accident, and now was going to be his roommate and then one day said roommate came home while they were talking. Raphael has never seen anyone more attractive, and the man has such a great sense of humor. Raphael's screwed.)

  
Magnus’s eyes sparkled as he watched them interact, and he painted Raphael’s nails green like Ragnor’s hair with red hearts- Raphael grumbled but secretly liked it (as he did with most things he liked)

 

And when eventually Raphael grudgingly admits okay, so he likes Ragnor, Magnus grins deviously and he says,  _this is going to be fantastic._

 

He's getting better. He meets a few of Magnus's other friends.

Simon (he's a nerd, but he's funny, and Raphael can admit to himself that he enjoys his inane babble), Maureen (she's tough, he respects her- and maybe even likes her), and even a few more. They're nice. They're good people.

(Simon shares his love of music, and he's actually a great singer. Maureen plays the drums like a damn queen, and Raphael can rock a guitar. Ragnor says jokingly,  _You should start a band._ Raphael gets a gleam in his eye.)

He comes out to them. Casually. He just slips it into conversation, and they don't even blink.

Ragnor smiles at him.

 

They start a band. It's Raphael's idea to call it  _Vampire Bat._

Raphael's having the best time of his life.

 

Magnus comes to every show, cheering and grinning in the crowd.

They start getting a little more successful. People in town know their name.

It's wonderful.

 

He tries to ask out Ragnor multiple times.

He keeps failing.

 

Finally, he manages to ask him out,  _blushing_ (sometimes he hated his too-pale skin) and stumbling over his words uncharacteristically, and Ragnor grins giddily and does a dorky little half-dance ("Yesyesyes _yes!"_ ) and Raphael isn't really sure how to react.

Ragnor swoops him to kiss him eagerly, then pauses. ("Uh, are you okay with kissing? I don't want to-") Raphael kissed him.

He thought of everything, didn't he?

Everything's going amazing. It's like the world had been so dark, and numb, and now it's suddenly colorful and vivid and Raphael  _fucking loves it._

 

Raphael will always have the scars, he will always be thinner than most, but he knew he was lucky.

Lucky to have Magnus as a friend, lucky to be alive. (The two went hand in hand.)

Lucky to have Ragnor, lucky to have the friends he had.

 

Raphael thinks he was wrong, all those years ago, about good people always dying.

Magnus is here, Ragnor is, Simon is, Maureen is. These people, these good people, are _alive_.

(And so is he.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh, not my best work, but I like the story behind it, at least!


	3. Simon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon is heartbroken and dead set on getting ridiculously drunk.
> 
> Cue Magnus Bane, chemistry lab partner, King of nail polish, fine wine, and decent kids' cartoons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also known as: That Many, Many Crushes of Simon Lewis

 

**SIMON POV???? IDK**

 

 

Simon Lewis had always had a very bad habit of falling for the wrong people.

 

 

Well,  _falling_ for was a bit dramatic.

Quite frankly, they were crushes, not _love,_ and Simon knew it perfectly well. But he cut him some slack, and let him have his melodrama, because this was just happening  _too often._

First Clary (that had  _not_ ended well), then Izzy (there was  _potential,_ but let's be honest, would someone like her ever go for Simon?), then for a very short, awkward time, Jace. (Honestly, Simon wouldn't admit it to himself, but that one  _also_ had potential. There was no way Jace was _completely_ straight.)

(Don't even get him started on Maureen.) 

It was ridiculous, really.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. The story  _starts_ at the beginning. Before their little friend group had really formed, before they'd met Izzy and Alec, when Jace was just beginning to show up in Simon's life...

Namely, when Simon was trying desperately to get over Clary as she got a new,  _actually serious_ boyfriend.

 

 

 

Simon and Magnus weren't exactly friends.

They weren't  _not_ friends, but it wasn't like they talked on a daily basis, either. I mean, Magnus kept forgetting Simon's name. Simon was pretty sure he was doing it on purpose. (One time! He'd forgotten Magnus's name _one time!_ )

So when Magnus showed up at his door, Simon was understandably a bit surprised.

 

 

_Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock._

Simon groaned. He was  _not_ in the mood for visitors.

He trudged to the door anyway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes (and a dribble of ice cream from his lips- yeah, sue him, he was eating ice cream).

Simon swung open the door.

He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it wasn't this.

 

Magnus Bane- his  _chemistry partner-_ was standing in the doorway with a grin, a paper bag, and a bottle of wine.

"I come bearing gifts!" he said.

Simon blinked. "What are you doing here? Wait, how do you know where I live?"

"Jocelyn told me," Magnus replied, like it was obvious. "And  _you,_ my friend, need some cheering up."

"W-what?"

"I've got a bottle of damn good wine, some nail polish, and the entire collection of Steven Universe," Magnus said. "Can I come in or not?"

Simon let him in.

 

Simon still felt a little bewildered, like he'd been suddenly swept up in a tornado and now he was lost. 

(Why did Magnus care?)

 

"Why are you here?" Simon asked.

Magnus gave him a grin. "Because you needed a friend," he said, "And I happen to think you're pretty funny, Salmon."

"Simon."

"Either way," Magnus said, "You need a friend, and in this case, I'm afraid biscuit is hardly the one for the job."

"Biscuit?" 

"Clarissa," Magnus clarified. "Are you going to keep up the mono-syllabic answers? It's quite alright if you do, I'm just curious."

"No," Simon said, "You said that, but you hardly  _know_ me. How do you even know I'm- Why do you care?"

Magnus blinked. "Of course I care," he said, as if it would be crazy  _not_ to care about your lab partner. He poured some wine into a glass (had Simon always had wine glasses?) "Are you going to drink some wine or not? My guess is you want to get drunk, right?"

"Well, you didn't answer my other question," Simon said grumpily, taking the glass grudgingly.

"Hmm?"

"What is it you think I need cheering up for?" Simon asked, taking a sip. "Wow, that is good."

Magnus grinned. "Best I had," he said. "And you let me in, didn't you? That implies there _is_ something."

Seeing Simon's look of _seriously?_ Magnus sighed. "Clarissa, of course. You two weren't exactly quiet."

Simon paled. "Great. Did everyone hear that?"

"No," Magnus said gently, "Just me and Jocelyn, I'm afraid."

 

"Why are you calling Clary's mom  _Jocelyn?"_

"Long story," Magnus said, and for the first time since he'd shown up, he looked a little uncomfortable. "The point is, I'm here, I'm queer, get over it!"

He seemed proud of that last part.

 _Okay,_ Simon thought,  _This might just work._

 

"Wait until I make you watch it," Magnus promised. "It's great."

"It's a kids' cartoon."

"So is Avatar: the Last Airbender!"

"Good point."

 

The night only got stranger. But it was a good strange.

Magnus had apparently brought dark blue and fuschia nail polish.

"-and  _that's_ why I am now forbidden from ever playing the charango again." Magnus concluded, finishing painting Simon's thumbnail dark blue.

Simon laughed (he'd probably already drank too much). "You've  _got_ to be kidding me," he said, "You're pulling my leg!"

"I'm not!" Magnus exclaimed, "I swear, I  _actually_ caused a stampede!"

"That's just impossible."

"I swear on my own grave," Magnus said mock-solemnly.

(Simon found that he was  _actually_ enjoying himself. Quite a lot.)

 

They did eventually get around to watching the DVD Magnus had brought ("Steven Universe? What's that?").

At first, Simon was skeptical.

Ice cream sandwiches? Cat fingers? 

It was _sort of_ amusing, but certainly not the deep, soul-wrenching storyline Magnus had been raving about earlier.

 

A few hours later, Simon did not have the same opinion.

(He also had bright pink toenails. Apparently Magnus also had pink nail polish.)

He was also quite drunk.

 

"What?" he demanded, voice more high-pitched than usual. "Tell- tell me that Bismuth comes back, Magnus, tell me- _"_

Magnus shook his head glumly. "Not yet," he said sadly.

"Why did you  _show me this show?'_ Simon wailed. "When did it get so  _deep?"_

Magnus nodded semi-seriously and said, "Rebecca Sugar," he said. "Devious, isn't she?"'

 

"Who's your favorite character?" Simon asked, head lolling to the side slightly to peer at Magnus.

"Peridot," Magnus said without hesitation. "Although Pearl is a close second."

"Traitor!" Simon declared. "Garnet is best! Or Ameythst! Or- do I have to choose?"

"Nope," Magnus declared, popping the p. "Of course not! They're all beautiful space rocks."

"Gay space rocks." Simon snorted quietly.

"Queer," Magnus corrected, "As a blanket term. I mean, Rose was obviously bisexual. Although, you know, the gems have a very fluid sense of gender, don't they?"

Simon shrugged. "They're all ladies, right?"

Magnus hummed. "Yep."

 

"It's not fair, y'know," Simon slurred. "To her, I mean, it's not-  _hic_ -like she  _belonged_ to me- she has  _every_ right to get a new boyfriend, who's prettier than me... _hic._ She only went on a date with me 'cause she felt guilty, pro'bly, why... why else would she- _hic_?"

Magnus, who was decidedly less drunk (but still definitely tipsy) said, "I doubt that, Sim- I mean, Sherman- ("Simon," Simon corrected feebly), but trust me, her new boyfriend is  _not_ prettier than you."

"That- that right there's a straight-up  _lie."_

"Excuse you, I don't do  _anything_ straight."

"Like you - _hic-_ haven't already made that pun like... what?  _hic_ , six times?"

"Stop hiccuping, you're making me dizzy."

"Hiccuping can't-  _hic-_ make you dizzy!"

"Well, yours does."

"Magnus!" Simon gasped, grasping at Magnus's shirt. "What if-  _hic-_ I'm magic?!"

Magnus was not drunk enough for this.

 

 

Magnus was drunk enough for this.

Simon was apparently a very cuddly, sad drunk. If easily distracted.

He was now mostly asleep, mumbling about dumb crushes and Pearl, and drooling on Magnus's blanket.

Magnus was slumped over to the other side of the couch, Simon's head resting on his side in some vague attempt to koala hug him. He looked like a little kid with brightly colored, expertly done nails, glasses askew and face slack.

(Magnus was drunk and a little touch-starved, so yeah, sue him, he didn't move.)

He rolled with it.

(He was asleep in minutes.)

(It's not the last time Magnus shows up at his place to paint his nails.)

 

When Simon woke up, Magnus is gone, but there is a little note on the table next to a glass of full of... weird, bright green liquid.

 

_Sorry, I had a class- but here's my own famous hangover cure. Ask Ragnor, it works wonders._

_See you later, ~~Simon~~ Samuel :)_

 

_-MB_

 

(The so-called _cure_  is Mt. Dew, although Simon doesn't realize this until later, once his headache is already gone.  _Placebo,_ Magnus will tell him later,  _is always a good cure._ )

 

The next time Simon sees him is... well, surprisingly not awkward.

It's not the same as it was before, it's just... different. Not bad, not weird, just new.

They go through chemistry class, for the most part, like usual, ("I swear to god, if you make this explode-" "Have more faith, Sergio." "That's a ludicrous name. That's almost as bad as _Salmon._ ") although Magnus _did_  accidentally say his real name once ("I said  _Sheldon!"_ "Suuure." "Shut up, Sadie!").

At the end of class, Simon waited for him by the door and said quietly, "Thanks. For last night, I mean. You didn't have to, uh, do that. And also, drunk me is a menace, I'm really sorry if I groped you."

Magnus gave a startled laugh. "Not so much groping," he said easily, "More like  _cuddling,_  really. But honestly, that's fine. _Drunk me_ enjoyed the attention."

"I seem to recollect you being a lot less drunk then me," Simon said, raising an eyebrow.

"Still drunk," Magnus said, waving a hand (a light pink flush crept up his neck).

Apparently his new friend (new friend! holy shit!) liked cuddling. Secretly.

Simon filed this information away for later use.

"You know," Magnus said, too casually, "There  _is_ a new episode of Steven Universe on tonight."

Simon blinked.

"We can force Maureen to watch with us," Magnus added.

"Maureen?"

"Friend of mine. You'd like her."

 

Simon  _does_ like Maureen.

They get along quite well. He also likes Raphael and Ragnor, whom later show up out of the blue (Magnus seems unsurprised, even though neither of them were actually invited.)

At this point, of course, the episode is over, but they end up playing Mariokart.

(Apparently, Magnus  _kicks ass_ at Mariokart. Even if he always insists on being Daisy.)

Ragnor is terrible but he clearly loves playing (he knows some very creative swear words), and he's always Luigi. Once, Maureen tried to pick Luigi and he tackled her.

Raphael is ridiculously good at it (Magnus's only real competition) and he's never picky about which character he plays. (Although he had a penchant for Toad.) Magnus keeps trying to get him to choose Waluigi.

Simon, personally, likes playing Bowser, but finds by the end of the night Peach is actually more badass. (She keeps getting blue shells. Raphael looks like he might punch something.)

All in all, it's pretty great.

(It's also pretty great having friends outside of Clary.)

 

"Simon, where  _were_ you last night?" Clary asked.

Simon gave her a long look, wiggling his fingers to show off the colorful polish.

"Friend's house," he said.

She gives him a surprised look.

(That doesn't hurt at all. Really.)

 

Simon ends up having a very, very brief crush on Raphael before it becomes very, very clear that he and Ragnor are absolutely perfect for each other. (He'll never, ever admit it, but he had the  _slightest, teeniest_ crush on Magnus at one point, too.  _For like five minutes, okay?_ At least it wasn't Ragnor, right? Raphael would've murdered him.)

 

Simon, Raphael, and Maureen end up starting a band. It's the best thing Simon's ever done.

 

He and Maureen date a while.  _Not_ the best thing he's ever done. (At least it ended on good terms.)

 

He gets a van for the band. 

Magnus, Ragnor, and the band had all helped him save up for it, and even though it was used and old (Raphael had offered to buy them a new one, but they had ended up agreeing for everyone to save up at least _mostly_ equal shares) it was perfect.

(Magnus named it Rory because it kept dying. Simon could appreciate the Doctor Who reference, even if he did swat at him the first time he heard it.)

 

 

Of course, eventually, he meets Izzy (oh no, new crush alert) and Alec (no crush, thank god, but  _damn_ he was handsome) and Jace (shit).

Suddenly, he's gone from having exactly one friend to having two fairly large groups of friends, and while it's certainty unexpected, he'd never trade for it for anything.

 

And it's not perfect.

Magnus isn't perfect, either, Simon has no delusions of that (he learned his lesson after Clary. Not that he blamed her, of course, but what could he say? She'd been his Lydia Martin.) and that was fine.

There is one night, after a long thunderstorm, that Magnus admits he doesn't like thunderstorms because they remind him of his stepfather.

Simon doesn't really want to know what that means, so he just turns up some Imagine Dragons really loud, muffling the thunder and rain, and says, "Wanna play Clue?"

 

(Magnus wins.)

 

 

 

Really, it was funny, because Simon suddenly had a life so full of good things.

Two great groups of friends, a band, _possibly_ a date.

It was funny, you see, because more than half of this would never have happened if Magnus Bane hadn't just _popped_ into his life with a bottle of wine and some nail polish. 

Over the years, a few times he'd wondered why Magnus had showed up at all.

He knew now, of course.

The answer was really quite simple: he cared.

He had the biggest heart Simon had ever seen. He laughed, he flirted, he slept around (barely, really, nowhere _near_ as much as people thought he did), he made bad puns, but he  _cared._  

 

Simon wasn't sure where he'd be if Magnus had never become his friend.

(But it didn't matter, because Magnus was his friend.)

He wouldn't have it any other way.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, the lady who plays Peridot is Harry Shum Jr's wife. Let that sink in.
> 
> Also: not my best work (God, I've been saying that lately, haven't I? Oops) but, hey, it works!
> 
> Up next: MAGNUS.


	4. Magnus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Camille, Magnus is an absolute wreck. His friends come together, paint his nails and just generally make him feel a lot better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MENTIONS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE. READ AT YOUR OWN RISKS, DEARS!

 

 

When Magnus finally breaks up with Camille, he's a wreck.

 

It had taken him so, so long to see that- that she was  _wrong._ That it wasn't  _okay._

 

 

To rewind:

 

The first time Ragnor saw the bruises, dark and colorful on his friend's arms, he was suspicious.

Magnus usually hid them a lot better, but now he was just exhausted and he wanted to go home.

Ragnor asked, of course.

Magnus gave him some reasoning- neither of them really remember what excuse he made- and Ragnor very reluctantly dropped it.

 

It was the third time he kept asking. 

Magnus wouldn't give him a straight answer.

 

The first time Raphael saw the bruises, he was angry. He had talked to Ragnor, and he could see the clear imprint of thin fingers on his skin.

They wanted answers. They want to know what- or who- is hurting their friend.

Raphael thinks it has something to do with Camille.

("But she makes him happy," Ragnor said doubtfully, and Raphael replied darkly, "The clever ones do," and Ragnor  _hates_ that his friend is hurt and he has no idea what to do-)

 

When they finally coax the story out of him, late one night (there is no alcohol, sadly, they're all painfully sober) and they're  _furious._

For a moment- just a moment- Magnus thinks Ragnor and Raphael are mad at  _him._ He's trying not to cry, shaking in the middle of the couch, unable to look at them, unable to stop playing with his rings (like he always does when he's nervous), shame and hurt and sadness thick and choking up his throat- Raphael and Ragnor exchange a look he doesn't see.

Then Ragnor lets out a little sob- is he  _crying, why would he cry for Magnus?_ and Raphael's fists clench, and he does the unexpected and  _throws his arms around Magnus,_ murmuring, "Dios, we'll never let her touch you again-"

 

Ragnor paints the nails on his left hand green, Raphael paints the others blue.

 

He still goes back to her- she welcomes him with her doe eyes and sharp teeth, like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

He remembered first meeting her- she'd seemed so innocent and kind at the time, but that's who she was, wasn't it? A chameleon- he'd seen what she'd wanted him to see.

 

Ragnor makes him tea and comforts him, and he tells Magnus softly,  _you don't deserve this, my friend, you don't,_ and even though seeing Magnus in pain makes his heart ache, he never once made Magnus feel pitied. 

Raphael tells him that he's going to teach him how to defend himself, because he'd been taking martial arts lessons since he was young, since his mother died- and goddamn it, this was not going to happen again.

(Somewhere in his heart Raphael knew that Magnus would never, _ever_  raise a hand to someone he cared about, even in self defense, but he had to do something, he couldn't just feel useless-)

 

When Simon finds out, he's angry and sad and he doesn't know everything, but he knows  _enough._

He brings a bottle of wine (cheap, but pretty good) and a box of assorted chocolates and says, _Despite my choice of gift,_ _I'm not going to romance you, but we are definitely going to marathon Doctor Who._

He paints Magnus's fingernails black- "The color of heartbreak!" he'd declared dramatically- and Magnus gives at least  _three_ genuine smiles that night. (Simon can't help but think that it's sad that that is an accomplishment.)

 

When Maureen first sees the bruises, she knows what's happening right away. She recognizes the dark, blooming pattern of strong fingers on skin, the bruises, the sad eyes- she remembered looking in the mirror and seeing those eyes, those bruises. 

She knows who Magnus is dating, she knows Camille- and the next day, she goes to the school and nearly gets expelled for punching Camille in the face. Twice.

 _Maybe it wasn't a good solution,_ she mused later,  _but it sure as hell felt good._

That night, she shows up at Magnus's door and he looks tired, he says,  _Camille's not here,_ and she says,  _I know, I'm here for you,_ and that night they talk and talk because she  _understands._

(She'd convinced herself, back then, that he'd loved her, but he hadn't.)

She, surprisingly, is the one who finally convinces him to break up with Camille.

 

She painted his nails red and purple. Simon had recommended the purple.

 

They all had given him such strength (and many different colors of nail polish).

When he finally got the courage to tell her, _it's over, it's done, i'm sorry-_

(He couldn't help but apologize, just like he couldn't help that some tender, scarred part of his heart still loved her so much-)

-his friends are there.

All four of them show up at his door, and he couldn't help but laugh, a tired, sad laugh, but relieved because they're all _here-_

They file in like dwarves into a hobbit hole, Maureen grinning with a full box set of I.T. Crowd, an older british comedy, Simon holding aloft another bottle of wine and several Monty Python DVDs, Ragnor waving about a package that had a frankly ridiculous amount of nail polish in it, and Raphael, last of all, a plastic bag full of various junk foods and what looked to be _the Incredibles_ sticking out of it.

 

Apparently none of them were going to class tomorrow.

 

 

Later, as Magnus observed the chaos around him, Maureen and Raphael cursing and violently competing at Mariokart ("Your father was a hamster and your mother smelt of elderberries!" "Don't you go _quoting the French at me!")_ , Ragnor dancing (he was decidedly drunk) to what sounded like the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, and Simon idly drawing on Maureen's arm with a Sharpie (he squeaked every time she jerked her arm aggressively forward, too caught up in the game to notice what he was doing- the artwork was actually pretty impressive, despite all the random lines caused by her moving too much) and he thought,  _with friends like these... maybe I'll be okay._

 

It was a start. 

 

(And if in the morning he woke up in what was basically a big pile of limbs (Ragnor's head on his shoulders, Raphael's arm thrown over his chest- he was in Ragnor's lap- were those two ever going to get their shit together?- Maureen lying across his legs, Simon curled into his other side) with not just rainbow nails but also nail polish on his shin, his cheek,  _and_ his shoulder blade- well, _this_ color on his skin was a lot better than bruises, wasn't it?

They all had pretty bad hangovers, but all in all, despite the heartbreak, despite the aching in his chest and bones, he couldn't have had a better night- or better friends.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know: I AM planning on doing something similar to this with Alec, so... that's gonna happen


End file.
